573 new cases of #COVID19;

Lagos-216
Rivers-103
Oyo-68
Edo-40
Kano-21
Gombe-20
FCT-17
Delta-13
Plateau-12
Bauchi-12
Niger-10
Kebbi-9
Ogun-8
Ondo-8
Abia-7
Nasarawa-5
Borno-1
Kwara-1
Benue-1
Anambra-1

16,658 confirmed
5,349 discharged
424 deaths

Source: NCDC

Oyo State Góvernor, Engineer Seyi Makinde wants National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to certify the laboratory at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan as a testing centre for COVID-19.

The governor made the request when the NCDC Director-General, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu led other management of the agency on a courtesy visit to him at Agodi Government House, Ibadan.

Governor Makinde while lauding the NCDC ‘s efforts in the fight against Covid-19, stressed that the state needed the support of the NCDC to certify the IITA laboratory.

He explained that Oyo was a vast and populated state that required additional laboratory centres, stressing that if Lagos could have six certified laboratories by NCDC, two or three laboratories would not be bad for Oyo State.

The Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, who later inspected facilities at the isolation centres, said measures put in place by the Oyo State Government in tackling COVID-19 in the state was commendable.

The NCDC boss believed that with the current effort of various states across the federation to combat the pandemic and the sense of collective responsibility, the country would rise above the global challenge 

The NCDC team visited the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) at the State Secretariat, the isolation centre and virology laboratory at the University College Hospital (UCH) and the Infectious Disease Centre at Olodo .

Iyabo Adebisi